Civil Service Rules | Examining Sexual Harassment Complainant In Absence Of Accused, Without ICC Report Vitiates Disciplinary Action: Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court has held that disciplinary proceedings under Rule 14(2) of the Central Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules 1965, which are founded on an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) inquiry, stand vitiated where complainants are examined in the absence of the delinquent employee.A Division Bench of Justices Navin Chawla and Madhu Jain thus dismissed Centre's appeal and upheld a CAT order setting aside the termination of a probationer at IIHT Guwahati, who was...

Director's Assurance Of Payment In Ordinary Business Can't Automatically Attract Cheating Charge: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has held that a director's assurance of payment given in the ordinary course of a commercial transaction cannot, by itself, be treated as fraudulent inducement so as to attract the offence of Cheating under Section 420 IPC.Justice Neena Bansal Krishna made the observation while quashing criminal proceedings against a Managing Director who had been charged with cheating...

Rajasthan High Court Forms Five-Judge Panel To Review Decision On Working Saturdays After Lawyers' Strike

Rajasthan High Court has constituted a committee comprising the following 5 (five) Judges, to submit their report on whether the decision of the Full Court regarding working of the Rajasthan High Court on two (2) Saturdays each month, is required to be reviewed:Hon'ble Mr. Justice Sameer JainHon'ble Mr. Justice Kuldeep MathurHon'ble Mr. Justice Anil Kumar UpmanHon'ble Mr. Justice Yogendra...

Gujarat High Court Grants Bail To Two Accused Of Luring Indian Citizens Abroad With Job Offers, Only To Be Held As 'Cyber Slaves'

The Gujarat High Court on Tuesday (January 6) granted bail to two men accused of luring Indian citizens with job offers in a foreign country where they were allegedly held as 'cyber slaves'.In doing so the court observed that the applicants were only "small time players" who tried to get their friends employed, holding that their actions appeared to be prima facie bonafide. Justice Nikhil S. Kariel in his order observed,"While the crime alleged is very serious inasmuch as Indian citizens...

Madras High Court Directs Setting Up Of District Level Monitoring Committees To Ensure Orderly System Is Abolished

The Madras High Court on Wednesday (January 07) directed the Tamil Nadu Home Secretary to constitute district-level monitoring committees to ensure that the orderly system is completely abolished in the state. The bench of Justice SM Subramaniam and Justice C Kumarappan directed the committee to be formulated within 2 weeks. The committee shall be headed by the respective District Collectors and will have one revenue officer not below the rank of District Revenue Officer. It will further...

S.12(3)(b) Bombay Rent Act | Tenant Must Prove Readiness To Pay Rent Including Interim Standard Rent To Claim Protection: Gujarat High Court

The Gujarat High Court has ruled that to claim protection from eviction under Section 12(3)(b) Bombay Rents, Hotel and Lodging House Rates Control Act a tenant has to prove that he was "ready and willing" to pay the standard rent and permitted increases, which "also includes interim standard rent" fixed by the court.For context, Section 12 of the Act states that no ejectment ordinarily to be made if tenant pays or is ready and willing to pay standard rent and permitted increases. Referring...

Delhi High Court Directs Special Committee To Decide Lawyers' Plea To Include Their Names In Electoral Roll For BCD Polls

The Delhi High Court has directed the Special Committee of the Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) to decide a representation filed by three lawyers seeking addition of their names in the electoral roll for the ensuing elections.Justice Amit Bansal directed the lawyers to file a representation before the Special Committee by January 08, which shall be considered and decided on or before January 12.This was after the judge noted that the publication of the final electoral roll to the ensuing BCD...

Jharkhand High Court Commutes Death Sentence Of Person Convicted For Rape & Murder Of Five-Year-Old Girl

The Jharkhand High Court recently commuted the death sentence of an accused convicted of the rape and murder of a five-year-old girl to life imprisonment, holding that the possibility of reform and rehabilitation of the accused could not be ruled out.A Division Bench of Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Arun Kumar Rai was hearing a matter in which the accused, Indar Oraon, had been found guilty and convicted for offences under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 6 of the...

J&K&L High Court Initiates Suo Motu Case To Ensure Compliance With SC Directions On Remission Policies

The High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh has registered a suo motu writ petition to monitor and supervise the implementation of remission and premature release policies in the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Arun Palli and Justice Rajnesh Oswal passed the order and noted that The Government of Jammu & Kashmir notified “Policy Guidelines for Remission/Premature Release of Life Convicts” vide Order No. 548-Home of 2025 dated...

Difficult For Institution To Forgive And Forget Silence Of The Bar: Justice Mahesh Sonak Bids Farewell To Bombay High Court

Bidding adieu to the Bombay High Court, Justice Mahesh Sonak who would be taking charge of the office of Chief Justice of Jharkhand High Court soon, on Wednesday urged the members of the Bar to always be vocal about anything that would affect the institution emphasising that 'it is a crime to remain silent when it is the duty to speak.'In a jam-packed central court hall, Justice Sonak also stressed that Bar is always going to be the 'judge' of the judges."As judges, we do not deserve praise for...

Delhi High Court Refuses To Quash Reassessment Against Homebuyer Over Alleged Cash Payment To Builder

The Delhi High Court has refused to interfere with reassessment proceedings initiated against a taxpayer after documents seized from real estate group Bhutani Infra allegedly reflected a cash transaction linked to a flat purchase.A Division Bench of Justices Dinesh Mehta and Vinod Kumar observed that the notice issued under Section 148 of the Income Tax Act cannot be termed as...

Madras High Court Allows US Inventor's Late Patent Examination Request Despite Indian Agent's Error

The Madras High Court has directed the Indian Patent Office to accept and process a request for examination filed by a US-based inventor, holding that a patent application cannot be treated as abandoned due to an inadvertent mistake by a patent agent. The court ruled that in the absence of any intention to give up the invention, such procedural lapses should not defeat substantive rights. Justice N Anand Venkatesh passed the order on December 18, 2025, while disposing of a writ petition filed...